1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to the field of flooring, and is more specifically directed to a protective flooring unit having a flap along its outer edge which enables a second flooring unit to be laid continuous with the first flooring unit so as to form a relatively uninterrupted protective floor covering that is easy to install, clean and remove if desired.
2. Description of Related Art
Garages, basements, utility rooms and other home and industrial work areas commonly have concrete or tile floors. While these floors can be washed or swept, it is often desirable to place a floor covering within the work area to capture spills and debris for easier clean-up and to prevent staining.
Thin plastic sheeting or tarps are commonly used for temporary floor protection. These tarps are generally resistant to stains and can be cleaned with water and detergents. Tarps are also fairly light weight so that they can be picked up and compactly folded for storage when not in use. Because they are relatively light weight and smooth, however, spilled liquid or debris tends to run off the sides onto the floor, particularly if the sheeting gets wrinkled or moved during use. In addition, it is often difficult to gather up a relatively large tarp and move it to another area for cleaning without having some of the spilled liquid or debris fall onto the floor.
Thicker flexible flooring units of plastic, vinyl, rubber and/or foam provide a durable covering that is less likely to wrinkle or move during use. These flooring units are typically sized to cover relatively small work areas. While these flooring units are useful in protecting such work areas, there is a need for durable floor coverings of this type to cover more sizable areas such as the entire floor of a garage. Yet, due to the methods employed for making these flooring units (e.g. extrusion or molding), it would be difficult and/or expensive to make and transport such large flooring units. In addition, the flooring units would likely be unwieldy to lift and handle for installation and/or removal without employing special equipment. Furthermore, there would likely be significant waste due to “cutting down” the mats to properly fit the area.
In an effort to provide a protective flooring for larger work areas, it is known to provide a series of strips of rubber or vinyl that can be laid adjacent one another to collectively cover the entire floor area. However, gaps between the edges of abutting strips expose the underlying floor such that debris and spills can seep onto the underlying floor. In an effort to overcome this problem, is has been suggested to bind the edges of adjoining strips together with separate plastic molding pieces. (See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,933). While the molding would cover the gap and prevent direct exposure of the underlying floor, spills could still seep under the molding and into the gap between the adjacent flooring units. Furthermore, the molding would likely interrupt the continuous, smooth appearance of the floor covering, and introduce safety problems by significantly raising the height of the floor covering at each seam. It is also anticipated that such a molding would significantly increase the cost of manufacture, would be time consuming to install and may crack or break over time and use.
Thus, while various protective floor coverings have been developed in the past, a need remains for a protective floor covering that can be readily manufactured, easily transported, installed and removed, if desired, for cleaning without the need for additional joining pieces or special equipment, while at the same time completely protecting the underlying flooring surface, and without introducing additional safety or aesthetic problems.